Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

WARNING: The contents provided here may not be suitable for all readers.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a brutal custom practised in several developing countries under the guise of religion. Its a practice that violates the basic human rights of women and girls and seriously compromises their health. Its only aim is the submission of women and the killing of sexual desire.
FGM also known as female circumcission or female genital cutting, FGM is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the range of procedures which involves "the partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural or any other non-therapeutic reason".
The procedure is traditionally carried out by old women with no medical training. Anaesthetics and antiseptics are not generally used and the practice is usally carried out using knives, scissors, scalpels, pieces of glass and razer blades. Often iodine or a mixture of herbs is placed on the wound to tighten the vagina and stop bleeding.
In cultures where it is an accepted norm, FGM is practiced by followers of all religious belief as well as non belivers. Among the more affluent, it may be performed in a health care facility by qualified health personnel. The age at which it is performed varies from area to area. It is performed on infants a few days old, female children and adolescents and, occasionally, on mature women. The reasons given by families for having FGM performed include: attenuate sexual desire, maintain chasity and virginity before marriage and fidelity during marriage, and increase male sexual pleasure, initiation of girls into womanhood, social integration and maintenance of social cohesion; to promote hygiene and provide aesthetic appeal; enhancement of fertility and child survival. Some Muslim communities practise FGM in the belief that it is demanded by Islamic faith. The practice, however, predates Islam.

FGM types
*Excision of prepuce, with or without excision of part or all of clitoris.
*Excision of the clitoris with partial or total excision of the labia minora.
*Excision of part or all of external genitalia and stitching/narrowing of vaginal opening (infibulation). So drastic is the mutilation involved that young brides have to be cut open to allow penetration on their wedding night and are customarily sewn up afterwards.
*Pricking, piercing or incising of clitoris and/or labia; stretching of the clitoris and/or labia; cauterisation by burning of clitoris and surrounding tissue.
*Scarping of tissue surrounding vaginal orifice.
*Introduction of corrosive substance or herbs into vagina to cause bleeding or for the purpose of tightening or narrowing it.

Where is FGM practised?
Majority of cases are carried out in 28 African countries, in specific ethnic groups. In some(eg, Egypt, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan), prevalence rates can be as high as 98 per cent. In other countries, such as Nigeria, Kenya, Togo and Senegal, the prevalence rates vary between 20 and 50 per cent. FGM also takes place in parts of Middle East, ie, in Yemen, Oman, Iraqi, Kurdistan, amongst some Bedouim women in Israel, and was also practiced by the Ethiopian Jews. FGM is also practiced among Bohra Muslim populations in parts of India and Pakistan, and amongst Muslim population in Malaysia and Indonesia. As a result of immigration and refugee movements, FGM is now being practiced by ethinic minority populations in other parts of the world, such as USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

IN INDIA....
The following letter was sent to Molly Melching, chairperson of Tostan in Senegal, an organisation dedicated to education on African women's health issues. Forwarded to UNICEF, it has already been openly discussed at its seminars. Hopefully this will help eradicate this barbaric custom in our country.

May, 2007
Dear Molley,
I'am an Indian women living in Mumbai, and I attended a seminar in the United states recently where you spoke on the subject of Female Genital Cutting in Africa. That day, I know I was the most intent of all listeners, the most interested in what you had to say. Why, you might ask?
It is because I, an Indian women who has been to University, have myself experienced the practice of FGC. I know this may surprise you, but it is true. Did you know that FGC also exists in India? Many people do not, not even many Indians!
I hail from the Dawoodi Bohra community, whose head is called the Syedna. We are a sect of the Shias, which came to India from Yemen some centuries ago. We were many sisters, very close, and shared many secrets. But none of us, not the ones before me, nor I myself, ever shared or warned the ones closest to us about the frightening and incomprehensible experience that we would one day be forced to go through. It was not spoken about then and is not spoken about even today.
I am 60 years old now, but will remember that fateful day for the rest of my life. I must have been around seven years old when my mother told me we were going to my grandma's house to spend the day with her. When we reached the grandma's house, my cousin, who was a year younger than me, was also there. We were happy to meet eachother. Then, we were both led to a small room, which had a bed and asked to lie down. We kept asking "Why?" Suddenly, a lady dressed in black came into the room. By now, my cousin and I were terrified, not aware of what was to follow.
Our dresses were pulled up and our panties pulled off, and we were asked to keep our leg apart. There were our mothers and our aunts holding our legs apart and then I felt something cold applied to my clitoris, and then to my horror , the lady in black, actually held a scissor-like instrument and cut me there. I screamed and screamed but no one seemed to care. Then this same thing was done to my cousin, who was right next to me on the same bed. Both of us kept screaming and crying in pain. Everyone left the room and asked us to lie down with our legs apart, and told us that all will be well soon. They locked us in for almost the whole day. The burning and painful sensation between my groins is something I will never forget.
I felt betrayed by and angry with my mother, and humiliated, too. I just could not understand how my mother could have been so cruel and put me through this horrific experience. Much later I was told that all Bohra girls must go through it, and that it is a 'good' for you. I then understood that my mother had no choice, that for her, she was only doing what was expected of her. She was being a 'good mother' because this is a practice that had been carried out in our Bohra group for centuries and was considered essential for a women's good reputation and marriage chances.
Little did I know that this would effect my sexual life to such a great extent that reaching orgasm would be a difficult for me!
My husband and I have made sure that our daughter does not go through the same thing. We warned his mother and mine that they dare not do anything behind our backs. We know of friends from my generation, who did not want their girls to go through FGC, but often it was grandma or aunts who took them away and secretly got it done!
The sad part is that my sisters and I, and my cousins too, did not really discuss our experience till many years later. We have spent years feeling shame and humiliation for a senseless act that we were subjugated to as childern, incapable of defending our human right to keep all organs of our body.
I regret also that I cannot reveal my name to you, as I am not certain of the best way to help put an end to this practice that still persists on a large scale in the Dawoodi Bohra community of India. However, your explanation of how people themselves changed the social convention in Africa through discussing non judgmental information on the dangers and human rights violation of FGC, then allowing people to collectively abandon the practice, seems the best way forward.
In the meanwhile, I hope that you will publish this letter to let others know that women suffer greatly from this practice, not only in Africa, but in other countries such as India as well. Women need to break the silence and support one another in this effort, so that our daughters will have a brighter future in the years to come.

Other mutilating practices around the world:
*Chinese Foot Binding is a custom practised for approximately one thousand years in China, now forbidden.
*The 'giraffe-like' stretched necks is practiced by the Burmese Kayan tribe.
*Breast ironing is a form of body modification practiced in parts of Cameroon. Pubescent girls' breast are flattened to make them less sexually attractive to men, usually by their mothers. This practice is believed to help prevent rape and early marriage. Various tools are used to press or beat down the forming breasts, including grinding stones, pestles, belts, and heated objects.

It is estimated that approximately 138 million African women have undergone FGM worldwide and each year, a further 2 million are estimated to be at risk.......

I gathered these shocking bit of information from the DNA's magazine called 'ME'. I myself have not seen any DNA newspaper, but I was fortunate enough to get my hands on this magazine, published by DNA. It covers almost everything one needs to know. I found the "ISSUE FOR ME" section the most interesting. It is from this section that I have published this post. All credit goes to the people behind the DNA. I was shocked when I came across this topic and felt I should share this with as many people as possible. People should be aware of this brutal custom which takes place under the guise of religion. This barbaric custom should be abandoned.

One liners - hidden meanings part 3

"Make a list of work that you do and lets see how I can help you" means "Anyway you have a find a way out no help from me"

"You should have told me earlier" means "Well even if you told me earlier that would have made hardly any difference"

"We need to find out the real reason" means "Well I will tell you where your fault is"

"Well family is important; your leave is always granted. Just ensure that the work is not effected" means "Well you know..."

"We are a team" means "I am not the only one to be blamed"

"That's actually a good question" means "I do not know anything about it"

"All the best" means "You are in trouble"

One liners - hidden meanings part 2

"There was a slight miscommunication" means "Wehad actually lied"

"Lets call a meeting and discuss" means "I have no time now, will talk later"

"We can always do it" means "We actually cannot do the same on time"

"We are on the right track but there needs to be a slight extension of the deadline" means "The project is screwed up , we cannot deliver on time"

"We had slight differences of opinion" means "We had actually fought"

One liners - hidden meanings part 1

"We will do it" means "You will do it"

"You have done a great job" means "More work to be ginen to you"

"We are working on it" means "We have not yet started working on the same"

"Tomorrow first thing in the morning" means "Its not getting done "At least not tommorrow!"

"After discussion we will decide- I am very open to views" means "I have already decided, I will tell you what to do"

BLACK SWAN

The US deep sea treasure hunters said on friday they retreived 17 tonnes of silver coins from a shipwreck, saying the find is the largest of its kind, worth hundreds of millions of dollers.
Odyssey Marine Exploration said the coins and other artefacts were found on a "colonial" period shipwreck in the Atlantic ocean, but maintained a shroud of secrecy over the exact location.
The artefacts include over 500000 silver coins weighing more than 17 tonnes, hundreds of gold coins, as well as worked gold, the company said.
An expert consultant by the company recommended offering the silver coins at retail prices ranging from a few hundred dollars to $4000 each, depending on the condition, date and origin.
The company guarded information about the site and identity of the shipwreck, which it codenamed "Black Swan".
The company made it clear it wanted to assert its legal rights to the find before it would provide details of its location, but insisted the shipwreck was well beyond any country's territorial waters.
It also said it was discussing film, television, and book rights.
"We anticipate that the Black Swan will prove to be the most widely publicised shipwreck in history, and we are selecting media partners that can contribute to telling the story of this amazing project," the company said.
I can tell you guys that a new Titanic type of movie is in the offering. I came across this news in The Business Line, a daily financial newspaper.

photoshop work

This is my very first work that i did using Adobe photoshop. This work gave me a lot of confidence and satisfaction. I used the pen tool and the gradient tool to finish nearly 90% of this work. I also used the filters for the head lights. This work was very much appreciated by my friends. Hope people who are visiting my blog would like this too...

You are Blessed!

• If youhave food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the people of this world!
• If you have money in the bank and in the purse, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy persons!
• If you wake up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than one million who will not survive this week!
• If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are more blessed than three billion people in the world!
• If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are more blessed because you can offer healing touch!
• If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all!

           Count your blessings and pass this message to remind everyone else how blessed they are.     

                                                        (COURTESY: HYPNOTIQUE)

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Strange but true

• A Greek monk Mihallo Toltos never saw a women. When he was born, his mother died, and the baby was whisked away the next day to monastery on the Top of Mount Athos. He spent the rest of his life among the monks - isolated from women.

•   Madame Regnier of Versailles in France, wife of a crown attorney was probably the most sensitive woman who ever lived. In 1842, her husband chided her gently enough in a trifling family quarrel. He mildly scolded her, "Be silent, you talk nonsense". Madame Regnier never spoke another word till she died in 1872. Her husband and family members requested her to talk. but she remained silent forever.
  

technorati tags:strange, facts

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Koovagam festival

On may 1st, in Villupuram(Tamil nadu) the annual Koovagam festival was held by TAI (Tamil Nadu AIDS Initiative). It was Padmini, aged 27, who was crowned as "Rani Aravani".
Padmini has done her graduation in commerce at PSG College, Coimbatore. She makes her living by teaching dance. Many transgenders like Padmini participated in the event. The surprise guest for this festival was from Kentucky USA, Ms Diepiriye s kuku siemons, an African American. She said "we are not ordained to be perfect but we are beautiful in our imperfections."
In this festival Miss Koovagam contest, was conducted by the Rotary club. Ms Rasiga, from Salem won the contest. Jyotika and Ramya were the runners-up.
This image appeared in the daily newspaper Deccan Chronicle.

Why me?

  Sometimes when tragedy strikes at home, we all ask ourselves - Why Me? Here is an excellent inspirational message from Arthur Ashe, the celebrated Wimbledon Tennis player.

  Arthur Ashe was dying of cancer. From the world over, he received letters from his friends and admirers. One of the letters conveyed: "Why does God have to select you for such a fatal disease?"

To this query Arthur Ashe replied: "The world over, 5 billion children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis, 0.5 million learn professional tennis, 50000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the Grand slam, 50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semifinal,  2 to finals. When I was holding the cup as winner I never asked God "Why Me?"

  And today in pain I should not be asking God "Why Me?"

 Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong, sorrow keeps you human, failure keeps you humble, success keeps you glowing, but only God keeps you going.

                                                   

                                                    - contributed by N.Bhattacharya in Wisdom Magazine.

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Why don't you give it up yourself

   There was a king and he had a friend - a holy man. The king would very often say to his friend, "Just release me from this worldly bondage, just make me free". The holy man would give instructions. Yet the king was persistent in his request, "Just make me free."

   One day the holy man firmly caught hold of a pillar and repeatedly began to request the king, "Friend, just release me." The king said, "Why don't you let go the hold." The holy man replied, "No, you must release me." The king replied, "A great fun indeed. you yourself have clasped the pillar tightly and at will you can leave it off. But now you request me to come to your rescue. why don't you yourself give it up?"

   Then the holy man left the pillar and said to the king, "It is the same case with you. you yourself are clasping the world and yet you constantly request me to release you from it. why don't you yourself give it up?" The king understood.

                                                                                  - Swami Turiyananda

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Does not give me time

  Rabia, the muslim saint was once asked, do you love God? Oh yes she said. Do you not hate the devil? "My love for God does not give me time to hate the devil", she said.

technorati tags:wisdom

Everyone shall have liberty

  The real democratic idea is not that every man shall be on a level with every other, but that everyone shall have liberty without hindrance, to be what God made him.

                                                                                       - Henry Ward Beecher

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Only person who listens

  The only person who listens to both sides of an argument is the fellow in the next apartment.

                                                                                             - Ruth Brown

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Serve two masters

 A man once challenged Mark Twain to quote some passage from the scriptures forbidding polygamy.

"Certainly" replied the humorist, "No man can serve two masters."

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More confidence in their opinion

 If you worry about what people think of you, it indicates that you have more confidence in their opinion than in your own.

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How poor we really are!

  One day a wealthy man took his son on a trip to the country so that he could have his son see how poor country people were.

  They stayed one day and one night in the farmhouse of a very humble farmer. At the end of the trip and back home the father asked the son: what did you think of the trip?

Son: Very nice, dad.

Father: Did you notice how poor they were?

Son: Yes.  

Father: What did you learn?

Son: I have learnt that we have one dog in the house and they have four. We have a fountain in the garden and they have a stream that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars. Our garden goes to the end of our property, they have the entire horizon as their backyard.

  At the end of the son's reply the father was speechless and his son added: "Thank you dad for showing me how poor we really are!"

technorati tags:wisdom

Asked to give an address

    At a banquet in Londen too much food was served and far too many speeches were made. When Lord Balfour's turn came, the hour was late and he was profoundly weary.

  "I have been asked" he said, "to give an address and I shall beg the privileage of giving my own. It is no. 40, Carlton garden and with your kind permission I will go there at once."

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Resignation!

  A dissatisfied school teacher handed in her resignation with the following comment:

 "In our public schools today, the teachers are afraid of the principlals, the principals are afraid of the superintendents, the superintendents are afraid of the board, the board members are afraid of the parents, the parents are afraid of the children and the children are afraid of nobody."                   

technorati tags:humour

What is Placebo?

Placebo is a pill that is prescribed by a doctor who is puzzled over a diagnosis of a disease from symtoms. "Take this three times a day", says a doctor and the patient follows his advice. He is convinced yhat the content in the bottle will do him good and they do. Placebos are harmless concoctions without any medicinal value. But the Power of Suggestion fixed in the patients mind cures him.

technorati tags:power, of, suggestion

NIKE

In the daily newspaper "The Economic Times", every wednesday we get the Brand Equity paper, which is all about advertisements. I like it very much. But this time I do not agree with what they had to say in their verdict on Nike's ad. In the image you can see what they said about the ad. Their verdict had a thumbs down to this ad. The reason being the length of commercial.

I strongly feel that if a ad successfully conveys its message to the target audience, its a good ad. And Nike has done just that. This global sportswear brand has captured the mind of all cricket lovers with its larger-than-life cricket commercial.

Time should not be the criteria to judge a ad. I just don't understand what the Brand Equity panel of judges mean by saying "Maybe its the length of commercial". There's a element of doubt in their verdict.

Well no matter what others say about this ad, I feel this is a larger than life cricket commercial. Nike just did it.......

The Bloody Slaughter

Strong Message: An Animal liberation activist protesting against Canada's annual Seal hunt poses as a slaughtered Seal outside the Canadian consulate in Sydney on thursday.

This image appeared in the daily newspaper Deccan Chronicle in the "Picture of the Day" section.

I appeal to all the bloggers who visit my site to copy-paste this image and publish it in your blog in protest against the Seal slaughter. Together we can make a difference.

WASIM AKRAM

Yesterday at the same time I had told that Cricket is a funny game. Pakistan were in a good position, the West Indies team were 168 for the loss of 4 wickets and they had lost there Captain Brain Lara. But the West Indies team made a good comeback and won the first match of the World Cup.
What Pakistan lacks now is a player like WASIM AKRAM. He is my all time favourite bowler. A player of his class would have changed the game result.

In todays match the Australian team is in a good position against the weaker team of Scotland. Captain Ricky Ponting has registered the first century of this World Cup. But I would praise the Scotland team for the way they have performed. They have restricted the Australian team to some extent. A decent bating performance and a lot of luck would bring the biggest upset of the year. My best wishes to the Scotland team.

Sachin - Sehwag partnership.

Iam a big cricket fan. today its the first match, and Pakistan looks like they have a upper hand in this match. As i write this post the west indies team are 168 at the loss of 4 wickets. They received a blow when their captain Brain Lara was dismissed for 37 runs. But cricket is a funny game. you never know what happens next.

I love the opening pair of Sachin and Sehwag. And I hope they strike the form at the right time. I feel they would play a important role in the coming matches. And I would pray to God that the devil in the image would not cause any problems to our cricket team. By the way its me who has done this image. I used the evil wallpaper and merged it with the batsman, using Adobe Photoshop. The image looks cool! I hope you would agree with me!

ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP 2007

Today is march 13 and its the first match of the World cup between West Indies and Pakistan! This cricket fever is going to last for one and a half month. It's going to be a great fun for all cricket fans.

Women of substance

Happy WOMEN'S DAY to all.

For the women of the world, the Day is an occasion to review how far they come in their struggle for Equality, Peace and Development.

This is my way of honouring them and wishing them.....

I made this image in Adobe Photoshop. Hope you like this....

SAVE MOTHER EARTH

I saw this image in a leading financial daily newspaper "The Business Line" in the cartoon corner. I like this image because it carries a very important message in a funny way.
I used this image to practice my work in Adobe ILLUSTRATOR. Later i changed it to a JPEG file. I thought it was a good idea to share this with everyone, as it carries a message with it.

GIFTS THAT COSTS YOU NOTHING

* The gift of listening: In this fast paced life, if we could lend our ears to others who are in discomfort, it would be a really good gift to them. Without interrupting and without planning for your response, if you could listen to the other person his burden of worry will be greatly reduced.
* Gift of compliments: A simple and sincere, "You look great in this outfit," "Job well done," can make someone happy.
* Gift of smiling: Smiling is of great value both mentally and socially. Smiling awakens friendly feelings in the people to whom it is directed. A smile can enrich our own lives and the lives of people with whom we come into contact.
* Gift of kind words: By saying a kind word, "Hello" or "Thank you" one can feel good. If you are found guilty never hesitate to say "Sorry". A sorry admitted sincerely from the bottom of the heart can make one feel good.
* Gift of love and affection: A small pat on the back, a handshake and sometimes a hug will be helpful. Whenever necessary do these to show your love to your family and friends.
* Gift of a favour: Every day, go out of your way to do something kind. These small small things that you do in your day-to-day work may even change a life.

CRICKET FEVER

I am a big cricket fan. As the 2007 World cup , which is to be held at West Indies is fast approaching, I wish to host a image.
It's for two reasons: one because I love cricket and there are many cricket lovers who will enjoy it. The second reason is that I recently joined a course in multimedia education and I wanted to put my work on web. There are many Photoshop pundits out there on the net and I expect that they will pass their expert comments. I will be greatly benefited by their suggestions.
May the best team win the cup, but i will strongly support the Men in Blue INDIAN TEAM.

What will you do with this money

Outside New york University building a shoe-shine boy met Albert Einstein, the famous scientist, and asked, "Shoe-shine sir?" Einstein smiled and shook his head, "No sorry, but if you wash your face, I will give you a quarter doller." The boy briskly ran off to a nearby tap. He washed his face and came back. "Well, that is better," said the shabby haired scientist and gave the boy a quarter doller. "What will you do with this money?" he asked.
The boy looked at Einstein and said, "I would like to give it back it to you, if you promise to get yourself a hair-cut."

Paid in full by a glass of milk

A young medical student was selling books to help him pay his fees in medical college. One hot summer day, he stopped at a farmhouse and asked a bright young girl if she cared to buy a book. "No thanks", she replied, "My mother is a widow and we cannot afford to buy books".
Then the student asked for a glass of water. She replied, "We have milk at home. would you care for a glass of milk?" The student thanked her and drank a glass of milk. when he offered to pay for the milk she refused saying, "Mother has taught me to be kind to strangers".
Some years passed by. One day, a women was brought to a hospital. She was too sick to notice anyone. But the chief surgeon saw her and recognised her as the girl who had once given him a glass of milk. She was placed in a private room and had special nurses to wait on her. Weeks passed.
One morning, a nurse said, "You are going home tomorrow!" "Oh" said the woman, "I am so glad. But the hospital bill worried me. It must be very large." The nurse said, "I will bring it to you."
As the woman looked over the bill and saw the large amount of it, she began to weep. Then, she looked further and down at the bottom she read these words: "Paid in full by a glass of milk!" Thus it was that Dr. Howard A. Kelley returned the kindness that a country girl showed to a stranger!
And thus will be our reward if we show love for others.

Tree gives a sweet mango

A king had gone for hunting along with his minister and retinue. They entered a forest. As the day was getting hot they rested under the spreading branches of a mango tree loaded with juicy fruits. A boy from a nearby hut of tribesmen hurled a stone to bring down a mango. However, the stone missed its mark and hit the king's head. The king was furious. He ordered his men to seize the boy and hang him to death. But the minister burst out laughing. The king got puzzled. His anger rose up. He asked the minister to explain his strange conduct. The minister said, "Your majesty, because the stone hit you - the King, the boy is in danger of losing his life. But suppose the stone had hit the mango tree. The tree would have given him a sweet mango. The king felt ashamed of his action.

I will fight to the death

Rousseau, the French philosopher and champion of liberty was hunted and pursued from one place to another because of his opinions. When Voltaire, another philosopher and writer heard of it, he invited Rousseau to come and live in his house. When Rousseau finally arrived, Voltaire said, "I do not agree with a word you say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it".

Absent-Minded GENIUSES

You may have heard of those proverbial professors who are always absent-minded. The same applies to geniuses as well. Quite a number of them were known to suffer from temporary absent-mindedness. This has often led to embarrassing situations.

One day Albert Einstein was riding in a train in Berlin. Absent-minded as he was, the noted physicist told the conductor that he had not given him the correct change. The conductor counted the change again, found it correct and handed it back to him. He told him rather rudely, "The trouble with you sir, is that you don't know mathematics," What a thing to say to none other than Einstein - the greatest mathematician of he century!

One day Edison too found himself in an embarrassing situation. The famous American scientist had gone to the court house to pay his taxes. When the clerk asked him his name, Edison instead of replying stared blankly at other people in the queue. Nobody there knew that he was a great scientist who had given the world not less than a thousand inventions.

If Edison blissfully forgot his own name Sir Walter Scott, the famous poet and novelist often forgot the poms he wrote. He once praised one of his own poems very highly, thinking that it was the poem of Byron.

Failing to remember one's wife's birthday or forgetting one's own wedding by not turning up for the occasion is indeed amusing. Louis Pasteur, the eminent French chemist's marriage was fixed for 29 May 1849. But on the appointed day, after all the guests had arrived there was no sign of Pasteur. Someone rightly guessed that he might still be in his laboratory and rushed over to catch the scientest and bring him to the Church.
"Did you forget about your wedding?" asked his friend finding Pasteur busy in his laboratory.
"As a matter of fact i did remember before i started this experiment," said Pasteur. "But later i totally forgot. Thank God you came".

Sir Isaac Newton, the famous English scientist never dared to marry. He died a bachelor. He was once madly in love with a girl. But the disease of absent-mindedness sealed his fate.
One day having decided to propose to his lady love, Newton fell on his knees, took his fiancee's hands in his own and looked lovingly into her eyes. All of a sudden his mind wandered. Dreamily he grasped his sweetheart's finger and took it for a pipe cleaner. He then rammed it up his smoking pipe. When the girl uttered a long , loud cry due to pain, Newton apologised, "Ah! my dear, i beg your pardon! i am afraid i am doomed to remain a bachelor".
And he remained a bachelor. No woman could have possibly lived with Newton. He was always shabbily dressed and he even forgot to have his meals. One day he had his lunch, he then had a second meal, having totally forgotten that he had already eaten!

Percy Bysshe Shelley, the great English poet's wife invariably sent meals into his study. But he frequently forgot to eat them. Later he would join her and inquire, "Mary, have i dined?"

If Newton and Shelley forgot their meals, Swinburne, the famous poet invariably forgot his hat. One day he searched for it in a club he often visited, he called the hall porter and wanted to know where his hat was. The man replied thatSwinburne had not worn a hat when he entered the club that evening!

Not being able to recollect where one is supposed to alight having set off on a train journey is rather strange. But this often happened to the famous journalist and essayist G.K. Chesterton. Once he got off a train at a palace called Harborough and immediately sent a telegram to his wife, "i am at Harborough, where should i be?"

Here is my Autograph!

Abraham Lincoln, the great Emancipator, received a letter asking for "a sentiment and his autograph". He replied, "Dear Madam, when you ask from a stranger that which is of interest only to yourself, always enclose a stamp. There is your sentiment and here is my autograph".

Are you responsible for this?

Ramon Magsaysay, the Philippine President, was inspecting a new irrigation project on the island of Mindanao. The President was worried about the project since the supply of pumps from abroad was delayed. But on arriving at the spot he noted that the project had been well ahead of schedule. He was told that some old US diesel trucks had been bought, torn apart and adapted to work in place of the pumps that had not yet arrived.
The President sent for the public works engineer. "Are you responsible for this?" he asked, pointing to the improvised pumps.
"Yes, sir," the engineer replied, not without misgivings. For it was he who had bought the old trucks and gone ahead on his own.
"Raise your right hand," ordered the President.
Wondering what next, the engineer raised his hand.
"Repeat after me this oath of office," said the President, beaming. And the astonished engineer found himself being sworn in as Under Secretary of Public Works!

I have no business

Kiechu was a great Zen teacher of the Meiji era. One day, the newly appointed governor of Kyoto called on him to seek his blessings and guidance. On reaching the monastery, the governor sent his card to Kiechu through one of the attendants. The card read "Kitagaki, Governor of Kyoto." Kiechu read the card and said to the attendant, "I have no business with the Governor of Kyoto. please ask him to leave." The attendant took the card back to governor and conveyed the master's message in a apologetic tone.
The Governor remarked, "The fault is mine." Taking the card in his hands, he promptly scratched out the word "Governor of Kyoto" and asked the attendant to hand it over again to the master.
This time Kiechu said, "Oh, Kitagaki has come. I would like to see him."

Abraham Lincoln's letter to Headmaster

Here is Abraham Lincoln's (16th President of USA) letter to Headmaster of the school in which his son was studying.

"He will have to learn, that all men are not just, all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero; that for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader. Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend. Teach him, if you can that a dollar earned is of far more value than five found.....

"Teach him to learn to lose... and also to enjoy winning. steer him away from envy, if you can, teach him the secret of quite laughter. Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books.... but also give him quite time to ponder over the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on a green hillside.

"In school, teach him it is far more honourable to fail than to cheat.... Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everybody tells him he is wrong... Teach him to be gentle with people. Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone is getting on the bandwagon. Teach him to listen to all men... but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.

"Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad... Teach him there is no shame in tears. Teach him to scoff at cynics and beware of too much sweetness... Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders, but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul. Teach him to close his ears to the howling mob... and to stand up and fight if he thinks he is right.

"Treat him gently, but do not hug him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel. Let him have the courage to be impatient...? Let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind.

As long as man has not realised GOD

The potter puts his pot in the sun to dry. Haven't you noticed that among them there are both baked and unbaked ones? When a cow happens to walk over them, some of the pots get broken to pieces. The broken pots that are already baked, the potter throws away, since they are of no more use to him. But the soft ones, though broken, he gathers up. He makes them into a lump and out of this forms new pots. In the same way so long as a man has not realised God, he will have to come back to the potter's hand, that is, he will have to be born again and again.

- Sri Ramakrishna

He called it 'HOME'

An artist who wanted to paint the most beautiful picture in the world, asked a person: "What is the most beautiful thing in the world?"
"Faith" said the person. "you find it at any altar".
The artist also asked a young bride the same question.
"Love", she replied. "Love builds poverty into riches and sweetens tears, without it there is no beauty".
A weary soldier told him, "Peace in the world. war is the ugliest thing in the world. wherever you find peace, you find beauty".
"Faith, Love and Peace, how can I paint them?" thought the artist. Entering the door he saw faith in the eyes of his wife. And there in his own home, the artist saw the peace, that love and faith had built. So, he painted the picture - 'His masterpiece'. The picture of the most beautiful in the world and he called it - "HOME".

Where is GOD?

Man has failed, not God. Man has not applied the laws of ethics and morality to solve the problems of human relationships. We praise the spiritual ideas of our prophets but ignore them. We build churches and temples to his glory but we keep far from them. Having abandoned God, why should we ask 'Where is GOD?'

Fear killed the rest

A peasant was driving into a town. An old woman standing on the road asked him to take her up and drive her into the town with him. She sat next to him and as they drove along, he asked her who she was. The woman with a twinkle in her eyes told him that she was the CHOLERA. The peasant then ordered her out of his cart, but she assured him that in the town she would kill only ten persons.

Next moment she handed him a dagger and told him that if she killed more than ten, he was at liberty to kill her. The peasant later found in the town more than a hundred perished with the cholera. The angry peasant meeting the woman on the street, drew his dagger and was about to kill her.

The old woman calmly lifted her hand and told him, "I killed only ten, but fear killed the rest."

Motivation

* After American film actor Fred Astaire's first screen test, the memo from the testing director of MGM, dated 1993, said, "can't act! slightly bald! can dance a little!" Astaire kept that memo over the fire place in his Beverly Hills home.

* An expert said of Vince Lombardi, American football player: "He possesses minimal football knowledge. lacks motivation."

* Greek philosopher socrates was called, "An immoral corrupter of youth."

* When Peter J. Daniel was in the fourth grade, his teacher, Mrs. Phillips, constantly said, "Peter, you're no good, you're a bad apple and you're never going to amount to anything." Peter was totally illiterate until he was 26. A friend stayed up with him all night and read him a copy of Think and grow rich. Now he owns the street corners he used to fight on and published his latest book: Mrs. Phillips, you were wrong!

* Louisa May Alcott, the author of Little Woman, was encouraged to find work as a servant or seamstress by her family.

* German composer Beethoven handled the violin awkwardly and preferred playing his own compositions instead of improving his technique. His teacher called him hopeless as a composer.

* The parents of the famous opera singer Enrico Caruso wanted him to be an engineer. His teacher said he had no voice at all and could not sing.

* Charles Darwin, father of the Theory of Evolution, gave up a medical career and was told by his father, "You care for nothing but shooting, dogs, and rat catching." In his autobiography, Darwin wrote, "I was considered by all my masters and by my father, a very ordinary boy, rather below the common standard in intellect."

* Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor for lack of ideas. Walt Disney also went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland.

* Thomas Edison's teachers said he was too stupid to learn anything.

* Famous scientist Albert Einstein did not speak until he was four years old and didn't read until he was seven. His teacher described him as "mentally slow, unsociable and adrift forever in his foolish dreams." He was expelled and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic school.

* French chemist Louis Pasteur was only a mediocre pupil in undergraduate studies and ranked 15th out of 22 in chemistry.

* English physicist Isaac Newton did very poorly in grade school.

* The sculptor Rodin's father said, "I have an idiot for a son." Described as the worst pupil in the school, Rodin failed three times to secure admittance to the school of art. His uncle called him uneducable.

* Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace, flunked out of collage. He was described as "both unable and unwilling to learn."

* Playwright Tennessee Williams was enraged when his play Me, Vasha was not chosen in a class competion at Washington university where he was enrolled in English XVI. The teacher recalled that Williams denounced the judges choice and their intelligence.

* American merchant F.W.Woolworth's employer at the dry goods store said he had not enough sense to wait upon customers.

* American automible manufacturer Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he finally succeeded.

* Winston Churchill failed sixth grade. He did not become Prime Minister of England until he was 62, and then only after a lifetime of defeats and setbacks. His greatest contributions came when he was a "senior citizen."

* Eighteen publishers turned down Richard Bach's 10,000 word story about a "soaring" seagull, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, before Macmillan finally published it in 1970. By 1975 it had sold more than seven million copies in the U.S. alone.

* Richard Hooker worked for seven years on his humorous war novel, M*A*S*H, only to have it rejected by 21 publishers before Morrow decided to publish it. It became a runaway bestseller, spawning a blockbusting movie and a highly successful television series.

Oil is bought from my money

Chanakya (the author of Arthashastra and the guru of Chandragupta Maurya) preferred to live in a cottage rather than in the palace at Pataliputra. One day someone from the Greek Embassy expressed his wish to meet Chanakya. And he was escorted towards a cottage.
The surprised man commented, "Is this where the Chief minister lives."
"yes," said the escort.
A lamp was burning in a corner and in the light of the lamp, Chanakya was examining some documents. He put out the lamp and lighted another and asked the visitor, "welcome. what can i do for you?"
The Greek asked, "will you kindly explain why you put out that lamp and lit another?"
"I was doing work pertaining to the state. That oil is bought from the state funds. Now this is a personal interview. The oil in this lamp is bought from my money."

(Partha)

Jealousy kills Justice

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives, families, their homes, their jobs, and where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see from the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the colourful activity of the outside world.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man said. ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every colour of rainbow, grand old trees graced the landscape and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in distance. As the man by the window described all this in clear detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the beautiful scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window explained it with descriptive words. unexpectedly an ugly thought entered his head: 'why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything.'
It did not seem fair. As the thought became intense the man felt ashamed first. But as the day passed and he missed seeing more sights, he was envious of the other patient. He began to dislike him and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window- this thought now controlled his life.
Late one night as he lay starring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was chocking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window searched for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room he never moved, never pushed his own button which could have brought the nurse running. Within five minutes the coughing and chocking stopped along with the sound of breathing. Now there was only silence.
The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths, when she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendents to take it away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved to the window. The nurse was happy to make the shifting and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully he pushed himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. He wept endlessly while realising that the other man weaved lovely scenes of imagination to keep him happy.

GOD has done well!

Nasrudin Hodja, in the heat of the day, sat under a walnut tree looking at his pumpkin vines. He said to himself "How foolish God is! Here he puts a great heavy pumpkin on a tiny vine without strength to do anything but to lie on the ground. And he puts tiny walnuts on a big tree whose branches could hold the weight of a man. If I were God, I could do better than that!"

Just then a breeze dislocated a walnut in the tree and it fell on the head of doubting Nasrudin Hodja, who rubbed his head, a sadder and wiser man. "Suppose," he thought, "there was a pumpkin up there, instead of walnut. Never again will I try to plan the world of GOD, but I shall thank God that he has done so well!"

THE FEAR OF GOD IS THE BEGINING OF WISDOM.

Hare RAMA hare KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA hare hare,

Hare KRISHNA hare RAMA, RAMA RAMA hare hare.........